Poetry, memoir,blogs and photographs from my world on the west coast of Canada.

Friday, December 16, 2011

An Epistle to the Downtrodden

Kerry, over at Imaginary Garden with Real Toads, offered a challenge mid-week (I am behind, as always): to write an epistle, a letter of sorts addressed to whomever we choose. Some amazing entries have been offered by fellow poets. Please do click on the link to check them out. Mine is a more humble effort. In the middle of the night I woke up and suddenly knew who I would address my missive to. It makes for some very long sentences, and I didn't know how to remedy that - I just wrote it down as it came. Apparently, I have deep feelings about the disenfranchised :-) Images are of Vancouver's East Side, taken from google.

I am also linking to Poetry Jam, whose challenge this week is: Occupy.

To the supposed Misfits and Outcasts of the World,

brave enough to be

who you really are, judged for being different,

rejected for circumstance,

or appearance

which doesn't fit the perceivedplastic bubbleof what our crazy world considers beauty,or for mental illnesswhich really just meansyou are attuned to a higher(and truer) frequencythan we more limited beings can hear,take heart, forin the Old Ways,you were considered the tribe's magic person,your utterances heeded with respect.

You seekers and speakers of truth,you downtrodden,who burn with the spark of humanity,offering your true smiles to otherseven as you struggle,looking at us out of your honest eyes,you who have nothing to hideand don't know the word for facade,wanting only to be acknowledgedas a fellow human beingof worth and value,know that, by some of us,you are seen.

You, the oppressed, marginalized, disdained,your poverty causing many to avert their eyes in discomfort,you, who pass the ringers of the little bellscollecting money which may, one day, feed you a meal,while all around youpeople pass bywith their loaded shopping carts,merrily loading bags and boxes into their SUV's,while you think of your children at home, in chilly rooms with an empty fridge,remember that your childrenhave your love and devotion,worth more than a hundred SUV's in the grand scheme of things.

Dear fellow being, know that you have already foundthe truth of authenticitythe rest of us are seeking,know that you are heroicin your daily putting of one foot in front of the other,for keeping on keeping on,that you are worthy and needed in this world,that your struggle is seen, and noted,and that, while it may not happen in this lifetime,in the karmic turningof the Wheel of Time,whether as madman or prophet,as a spokesman for the disenfranchised,(but never as a CEO or corporate tax evader),you will come back to this worldof disparity and urgent need,once more glad to be here,for life, in all its guises and disguises,is beautiful.

As the great toppling monolithof capitalism and commerceslowly begins to buckleyou, my friends,who have already learnedhow to live richly, with little,are the experts who are going,one day, to show us the way.

You may feel invisible now,your voices unheard,but Believe!The force of the small and common manis beginning to rise all over the world,throwing off the oppression and manipulation of the mighty.

The tide of man will turn and turn again,until the mighty are fallen and the way made new,and then, fellow pilgrim,what a world awaits uswhen at lastwe come into our inheritanceand Occupy Earth.

What a kind and caring piece that speaks to so many of those who haunt our streets. Good to see you at Poetry Jam. I still have not gotten my own schedule of visiting the participation sites organized--organization is not one of my strong points. I thought of you recently as we just lost our wonderful dog unexpectedly and I remembered your photo of Pup. (Ours had cardiac arrest on a hike in the mountains and he was only 6.)

Thanks for "jamming" with us, Sherry. A lot of depth and care here, and I definitely empathize with the disenfranchised, the mentally ill, all those who (for whatever reason) live on the streets....but truly I would not wish for the end of capitalism nor commerce. I would hate to think of some of the things that would bring about.

I am grateful for the many gifts I have been given, for the many places I have been able to see, but I my deepest gratitude is to wake up alive every morning.Only when we learn to be grateful for the wonderful gift of life on a daily basis, only then will we learn what some of these people already know.A wonderful, powerful piece of writing, Sherry. I'm glad you waited for it to come to you.Luv, K

My heart is warmed by the loving message you deliver here to the "magic persons" who count for little in capitalist society. This is beautiful. Thank you for this thoughtful testament to another way of seeing.

I knew your poetry was something special when I read your "Red Shoes" entry aloud to a small group of friends ... women all in their 60s-70s. Your Poetry Jam piece speaks to so many in our world .. and gives hope. I am blessed and thankful for everything in my life.

I love how this piece championed the truth that every person is a person and should be treated as such, not as a discarded "item" along the side of a dirty road. I especially love:

"looking at us out of your honest eyes,you who have nothing to hideand don't know the word for facade,wanting only to be acknowledgedas a fellow human beingof worth and value,know that, by some of us,you are seen."

It's the same the world over rich or poor. There'll always be the deprived and the downtrodden caught in the cross-fire with nowhere to go to but to be among themselves. Politicians instead of solving the problems make them worst! Nicely Sherry!

There is a bravery in putting one foot in front of the other sometimes--this piece is so deeply moving--so much to be said for the unity and connectedness between people as opposed to the materialism which pervades our society

Wow Sherry... this is deep and powerful... are you a shaman? I've often wondered if those we label 'mentally ill' are attuned to other worlds. There is so much we don't know and thus fear. I thought it was a wise observation how they live with so much less and will one day need to show the rest of us the way... the first shall be last and the last first... this touched me very deeply.

Wow, huzzah! I don't think I've read such a poignant piece focusing on something that is easy let become out of focus. I really enjoyed the tying together of history with present times, and word combos like "guise/disguise" were awesome bonuses.

massive subject, brilliantly handled. There are so many links, parallels and hooks to catch the reader - important when approaching themes which could otherwise become mawkish or trite. You've judged the pitch and level perfectly. Excellent piece.

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Welcome to Stardreaming!

I am a poet, memoirist, star dreamer. I love this blogging world of talented poets sharing their work. It has opened up the gates of the world to this happy, home-loving hermit.

I live on the beautiful West Coast of Canada, on Vancouver Island. All photos on the site are taken by me, unless stated otherwise - lots of gorgeous scenery here to capture!

Please observe my copyright to materials used, photos and writings. In here you will find whatever is on my mind on any given day, some memoir, lots of poetry, including the Soul Card Journey I took in April, and the on-going Wild Woman shenanigans.